to trouble over
some company business. We had some conversation, and it is upon his
information that I am now going to act."

"He is trustworthy?" Aynesworth asked.

"I take the risk," Wingrave answered coolly. "There is a small copper
mine in Utah called the Royal Hardwell Copper Mine. The shares are
hundred dollar ones, and there are ten thousand of them. They are
scarcely quoted now, as the mine has become utterly discredited.
Hardwell managed this himself with a false report. He meant to have the
company go into liquidation, and then buy it for a very small amount.
As a matter of fact, the mine is good, and could be worked at a large
profit."

"You have Hardwell's word for that," Aynesworth remarked.

"Exactly!" Wingrave remarked. "I am proceeding on the assumption that he
told me the truth. I wish to buy, if possible, the whole of the shares,
and as many more as I can get brokers to sell. The price of the shares
today is two dollars!"

"I presume you will send out an expert to the mine first?" Aynesworth
said.

"I shall do nothing of the sort," Wingrave answered. "The fact that I
was buying upon information would send the shares up at once. I mean
to buy first, and then go out to the mine. If I have made a mistake, I
shall not be ruined. If Hardwell's story is true, there will be millions
in it."

Aynesworth said nothing, but his face expressed a good deal.

"Here are the names of seven respectable brokers," Wingrave continued,
passing a sheet of paper towards him. "I want you to buy five hundred
shares from each of them. The price may vary a few points. Whatever it
is, pay it. Here are seven signed checks. I shall buy myself as many as
I can without spoiling the market. You had better start out in about a
quarter of an hour and see to this. You have my private ledger?"

"Yes."

"Open an account to Hardwell in it; a quarter of all the shares I
buy are to be in his name, and a quarter of all the profits I make in
dealing in the shares is to be credited to him."

"A fairly generous arrangement for Mr. Hardwell," Aynesworth remarked.

"There is nothing generous about it," Wingrave answered coldly. "It is
the arrangement I made with him, and to which I propose to adhere. You
understand what I want you to do?"

"Perfectly," Aynesworth answered; "I still think, however, that much the
wiser course would be to send an expert to the mine first."

"Indeed!" Wingrave remarked politely. "That is all, I think.